


Between the Stacks

by SOMNlARl



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Library, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Cute boys with crushes, Flirting, M/M, Modern Thedas, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-21
Updated: 2016-03-21
Packaged: 2018-05-28 04:52:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,577
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6315637
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SOMNlARl/pseuds/SOMNlARl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Felix finds being a librarian anything but dull especially when a favor for a handsome patron leads to a wished-for date.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Between the Stacks

**Author's Note:**

  * For [snakepapa](https://archiveofourown.org/users/snakepapa/gifts).



> For Kaiti who prompted me with "Felix is a librarian and Carver comes in and has a ridiculous late fee on an embarrassing book that Garrett or Marian checked out on his card". Thank you so much! This was way too much fun to write and now I'm fully mired in Fever hell, thanks.
> 
> Feel free to find me/prompt me/hang out in my trash heap on tumblr: xhermionedanger.

 

 

 

 

The hard clap of a hand on his shoulder makes Felix yelp. He whirls around from the books he’d been shelving and glares, without heat, at Dorian.

“What do you want, Dorian?” He asks, tone just a bit peevish. “You’re the one who wanted the stacks reorganized, you could at least leave me to it.”

“Well, isn’t this nice?” Dorian chides. Felix ducks as Dorian’s hand shoots out in an aborted attempt to ruffle his hair. “I go out of my way to help spark your non-existent love life and this is how you appreciate my efforts?”

Felix blinks, raises an eyebrow. “What do you mean, my love life?”

“Ah,” Dorian replies, a smirk threatening at the corners of his mouth. “I am, of course, well aware that your love life is currently rotting on the vine as they say but that is why I thought you might like to know that a certain brunet you’ve been mooning over with penetrating blue eyes and arms so muscled they ought to have been carved out of marble is slowly approaching the circulation desk.”

“You’re assigned to the desk,” Felix replies, dully though his heart skips a beat.  “And I _don’t_  moon.” 

He pinches at the bridge of his nose, squeezes his eyes shut and opens them again. He knows exactly who Dorian means. The man who’s been coming to the library week after week, who always sits on the comfortable couch in the back, pouring over books for hours until he leaves at closing time. The man he’s not been able to shake from his thoughts no matter how hard he tries. He blows out a sigh, his fingers tighten around the spine of the book. If he had the wherewithal to look down at them he’d see tense knuckles, thin skin pulled tightly over bone.

“Yes, well,” Dorian sniffs, rolling his eyes. “I do seem to have developed a bit of a headache. The computer, you know. Dreadful things. I thought some time away in the stacks might do me a world of good but someone will have to cover the desk.”

“You mean? Me?” Felix whispers. He closes his eyes and lets his thoughts drift for a moment, remembering bright blue eyes and wisps of dark hair, a reluctant smile that he’d give anything to be the one to elicit.

“ _Oh_ ,” He nearly drops the book he’s been clinging to like a lifeline. Dorian snorts back a laugh and whisks it from his hands.

“ _Oh_ , indeed,” Dorian pats him on the shoulder again and gives it a quick squeeze, softer this time and laughs as he waves a hand vaguely towards the front of the library. “You really should get going, it wouldn’t do to leave the desk unmanned for too long.”

Felix doesn’t need to be told twice and he races off, Dorian still laughing in the background.

He’s a bit flustered from his dash across the library but he slides behind the desk a few seconds before the patron in question and takes a moment to fuss with his shirt collar. He gulps in a deep breath, another and then another, letting them out slowly.

 _Calm down, Felix_ he scolds silently. He worries at his bottom lip, teeth against soft flesh and drums his fingertips against the desk.

He startles and looks up at the sound of footsteps and smiles, a real smile - not the one he saves for patrons with too many questions easily answered if they’d just _look_ at the signs on the shelves.

“Can I…” His voice breaks and he flushes, far too aware of the delicate rise of color high across his cheeks. He swallows a nervous cough, clears his throat and tries again. “So sorry. Can I help you?”

“Just a few to check out,” the man replies as he places a pile of books gently on the desk then lays his card on top. He smiles politely and there’s a fluttering in his stomach Felix can’t ignore.

“Of course,” he mutters. He slides the books towards him and scans the card. The computer makes a dreadful beeping noise and he stops, staring at the screen.

“I… unfortunately… were you aware that there’s a large hold for overdue materials on your account, Mr…” Felix squints at the card, wishing he’d worn his glasses. “Hawke?”

The man grunts, a wave of irritation flickers across his face before it smoothes.

“Carver, please. Only my brother goes by Hawke. It’s not…”  He lets out a small noise of frustration and shrugs. “It’s not big enough for the both of us.”

“Carver, then,” Felix replies pleasantly. It’s a nice name, he thinks. Strong, straight-forward, fitting. It suits him.

“You said there was a hold?” Carver prompts, eyes narrowed into slits.

Felix hums under his breath as he types, pulling up Carver’s profile. He whistles softly, eyes wide. “Yes… it seems that you checked out… _How to Become a Dragon?_ Eight months ago. It’s never been returned. Isn't that... a children's book?"

“Oh for the love of…” Carver growls under his breath, cutting off with an exasperated sigh. He fists his hands through his hair, pulling at strands so dark they’re nearly black. “Damn it, Garrett…”

“Problem?” Felix asks politely, head cocked slightly.

“No!” Carver rubs at the back of his neck then trails a hand down the side of his face, fingers scratching lightly against day-old stubble. “Well, yes. It…”

Felix stares down at the desk, tracing the grooves in the wood with a finger. He sets the scanner down with a soft clatter.

“I…” Carver sighs again. “It has to have been my brother. That’s…”

“Not exactly something you would check out for yourself?” Felix allows himself a small grin that only widens when Carver nods and meets his eyes - the blue of a late afternoon sky meeting his own warm brown.

Carver nods, relieved. “Exactly.

Carver’s quiet for a moment, Felix isn’t quite sure how long. He’s staring at Carver’s eyes, delicately rimmed with thick, dark lashes and when he comes to again Carver’s looking at him questioningly.

“Sorry,” he mutters. “Long day. You were saying?”

Carver shrugs, smiles a little and folds his arms across his chest. His shoulders bulge under his tight, black t-shirt and it’s all Felix can do not to stare. “It’s… you’re… you’re alright. Is there a fine?”

“Oh!” Felix exclaims, typing furiously. “It… oh. Yes. I mean… this can’t possibly be right?”

“I’m sure it is,” Carver grimaces, a frown furrowing across his brown. His jaw ticks and Felix watches as his fists clench and relax again. “What damage did my idiot brother do this time?”

“I…” Felix starts, staring towards the stacks. Anywhere but at Carver. Out of the corner of his eye he catches Dorian nodding at his panicked look.

He sighs softly and types a few quick commands on the keyboard, staring intently at the screen. “Normally it would have been $200 including interest but… I can waive it. I checked your account. It’s your first offense. You’ve always been on time before.”

Carver stiffens. “No! If I owe it then…”

“I checked your brother’s account too. He… really does have a thing for dragons… and not returning books, doesn’t he?” Felix raises a pointed eyebrow and grins.

“I…” Carver relaxes, his face and body unclenching as he leans a hip up against the side of the circulation desk. “Yes. Yes, he does.”

“Well then,” Felix says with a small smile as he scans the first of Carver’s books. “I think we can move this over to Garrett’s account and get you back to free and clear.”

“I…” Carver smiles, laughs a little and to Felix all it conjures is the ringing of bells, soft and sweet and echoing across a Chantry. He wants to hear it again, wants to always be the one to prompt that wonderful sound. “Thank you. You’ve… done me a huge favor. I… I’d like to repay you? But I don’t know how?”

Felix shuts his eyes, squeezes them tightly. In his head he hears Dorian’s voice. _You’re never going to get ahead if you don’t take a chance_. He breathes out shakily. He jumps.

“Maybe…” his voice sounds distant as though it’s coming from high above him. “Maybe we could have coffee sometime?”

Carver smiles again, staring at him so intently that Felix drops his eyes. He shoves his hands in his pockets as Felix finishes scanning his books and presses the stack towards him.

“Yeah,” Carver mumbles, pushing a fallen strand of hair back behind his ear. “Coffee. With you. That’d be nice.”

There’s a sudden warmth in his chest, fluttering like a flock of birds at odds with the high and fast beating of his heart and Felix can’t help but chuckle - relieved - a smile spreading across his face until his cheeks ache. He grabs an index card and a pen and writes for a moment then pushes the card towards Carver who takes it with a questioning look.

“I’m Felix. And that’s my number,” he says, letting his fingers brush lightly against Carver’s as he picks up the card. “I already have yours, from the computer.”

“Right,” Carver replies, his voice husky. He tucks the card into his back pocket and blinks quickly. “I’ll… call you, yeah? Soon?”

Carver gathers up his books and turns to leave.

Felix breathes slowly, willing the racing of his heart to slow to a steady stutter. “Soon.”

 


End file.
